Molding machine



March 10. 1925. 1,529,324

, H. L. STEEB ET AL MOLDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1921 5 Sheets-Sheet 1"March 10. 1925. 1,529,324 H. L. STEEB ET AL MOLDING MACHINE 7l'led Feb.26. 1921 5 Sheets-Shae; 2

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. H. L. STEEB ET AL MOLDING MACHINE Fiied Feb. 26, 1921 s sheets-sheet 4March 10. 1925. v

- H L. STEEB ET AL HOLDING MACHINE 5 Sheets- Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 26. 1921Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIcE.

HARRY L. STEEB AND EZRA H. SOHNER, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

MOLDING MACHINE.

Application filed February 26, 1921. Serial No. 447,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, HARRY L. STEEB and EZRA H. SOHNER, citizens of theUnited States, residing at Molina, in the county of Rock Island andState of Illinois, have invented certain new .and useful Improvements inMolding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to founding practice and comprises mechanism foruse in preparing molds.

The main object of our invention is to facilitate the handling ofpatterns and flasks in preparing the mold for the casting operation.

In attaining this general object it is desired to eliminate delays inassembling the patterns with the flask members, to provlde mechanism forreversing the flask drag or cope and its pattern after the sand in theflask element has been rammed; to provide means for stripping thepattern element from its mold; and to provide for removal of a flaskmember and its mold from a machine without injury to the mold.

Further objects of our invention are to provide adjustable elements foraccurately controlling the reversing of the flask member, stripping ofmold and pattern, and to provide locking means for preventing accidentaloperation of the mechanisms.

We also desire to mount the flask parts and patterns so that inpreparing a number of molds for one article the cooperating molds willbe equal in number, will align when assembled, and be uniform at theparting line.

Other more specific objects of our invention are mentioned in thespecification in connection with the description of details of theconstruction which are adapted to secure those objects.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a selected embodiment ofour invention- Fig. 1 is a front elevation of our machine.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showingone flask memher in the position in which its section of the mold isformed and with that section completed.

Fig. 3 is a similar section showing the same flask member in reverseposition and after its cooperating pattern element has been separatedfrom its mold.

Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section on line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view of the revolving frame taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2. I

Figs. 6 and 7 are detailed viewstaken on line 6-6 and 7-7 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a horizontal section of the pattern support guide taken'online 88 of Fig. 6.

The machine carriage l is mounted on wheels 2 whereby it maybe moved toany convenient location and the carriage mounts the mechanisms'whichhold the flask and pattern and which are adapted to reverse same, whichstrip the pattern from its mold and which deliver the flask after themold is completed.

The flask and pattern holding mechanism comprises a flask support frame3 and a pattern support base 4. The frame 3 is retatably mounted oncarriage 1 by means of trunnions 5 journaled in the carriage andprovided with a hand wheel 6.

Frame 3 is in the form of a hollow box, and pattern base 4 is mountedtherein so as to be movable vertically in the frame. The top and bottomof frame 3 consist of removable stripping plates 7 and 8 which may bechanged for different patterns and which are provided with openings 9and 10, respectively, adapted to receive, and preferably, to fit arounda portion of their re spective pattern elements, and permit that portionof the pattern which is to be molded to project through the plate'into aflask member. 7 When base 4 is moved across frame 3 .to alternatelyproject one pattern element through its frame plate, it simultaneouslywithdraws the other pattern element through its frame plate.

Each plate 7 and 8 is adapted to have ay flask member secured theretoand Figs. 1,

shaft, .1 5 and held in adjusted position by screws 22 in lugs 23 whichproject! from the base,,will, be moved alternately to andlfromueach ofshafts l5 and 15*. These shafts extend through openings in base 4, arespaced transversely of the flask supporting frame 3 and journaledtherein. One arm --of each bell crank on one shaft is pivotallyconnected to the corresponding aim of the opposite bell crank ontlie'otlier-sh-aft by respective rods 16 which provide simultaneousaction of the bell cranks and their shafts?" The other arms of the bellcranks are pivotally. connected to pattern base 4 by means of individuallinksv '17. t 1

Bell cranks 14 are shifted by means, of a lever 18 mounted :onsha-ft 115outsidegof. the frame wail and which is providedxwithm retractable pawl19 which engages notches: 20 in an adjustable block 21 .pivotedbn frameqwall.

It is obvious thatiwhenhther bell .crank shafts are turned, the patternsupporting the respective strippingplates17 and 8.

Base fmust shift/in a directionat right, anglesto plates 7. and 18 inorderto prevent inj u t y to themold when the p attern element iswithdrawn and to, insure such movementagainst uvariationsi duex-toflexibility in the:-.

mechanism, 1 provide base 4 with .adjustm able. guides 24 (Fig. 8mounted in recesses-v 25 in frame 3 secured therein by means. of screws26.

One of the trunnions .5 on frame 3 has. relatively fixed collar 27provided with diametrically opposite notches,,28 adapted to receivea;plunger 29 slidablymountediupon carriage land which be retracted by arod30 connected to a treadle 31. .,PlL111.J ger 29 and collar 27 secureframe ,3 against undesired rotation on the carriage. 7

To remove a flask member .from frame .3,

we provide the carriagewitha;hinged arm 32 which carries a pedestal 33at its swing-H ing end.) adapted to be raisediandlowered on arm 32 bymeans of a. lever .34l.which.is fulcrumed .on arm 32. and hasapin andslot; connection touthe column 35. of pedestal33 Arm..3.2 carries abracket 36, thezouter end. of which is located above the lowermostupoasltion of the adjacent end of lever .34 and substantially opposite theuppermost posi-,

tlon of the latter. A tension spring 37 con-W,

nects, this end of bracket 36 with the-adjacent .end.-of lever .34and,..,.as the extreme: positionsuof the lever end-aremore remote. from.the bracket end than rltS intermediate positions, the springyieldinglyiresists movement of the lever from acentral position toeitherqof its extremespositions,shown-res; spectively in Figs. 2 and 3.

The functionof arm 32 and. pedestal 33; I

turn the -fiask..-holding frame to its original position in order-topreparethe secondimold is to receive a flask-member, lower it fromitsframeaplate andv swing itfoutafromthe machine carriage so that it may bepicked towards the flask; member 'or towards arm We prefer to provideour machine with "an elevated table -33 to accommodate the molders toolsand other equipment but this is optional and forms no part of ourinvention. o I

Operation: In the drawings we have illustrated a slmpie twohpartpatternconsisting of elements :A. and. 13 mounted y-respec; 1

is shown .inFig. 2, securediin a position in which it projectsipatternelement- A up-V.

'tively on oppo site faces of basez 1 The base wardlythroughstrippingplate 7. Theflask flaslocovenll is applied and hooks 12 and"dragll is placed on plate? and filled with sand and, after ramming .ofthe latter,.the

lever: .13 operated; to clamp i the. complete drag to frame Treadle 31is then stepped on to withdraw. plunger 29 from collar 27 f andrwheel .6is. operated to reverse the flask i support frame to the position shownin Fig.

where it will be locked by engagement of plunger-7 29 with the othernotch in collar.v 27 'iawl19 is. theh,..withdraw;n andglever 18 moved toits alternative position andthere .7

locked by 'entryyof pawl: 19' into .the other notch'in block .21.:This.movem'entof lever 18 shifts base 4- to the position, shown-in Fig. 3,,adjacent :plateS with pattern ele-.

inent B projecting through the latter. a

- The..-,operator gthen presseson lever 34,,

raising pedestal z33 tothepositionsshown in Fig. 3 and,releasing:clamps. 13,swings hooks 12 intoudisengaged position: Pressureis then ,removed" from lever 34, the pedestal,

and drag lowered,-anda rm 32swungoutwardly...of .the.,maol1ine and/the1: drag fre-...

moved.

clampingthe copeflaskto the stripping plate 8, for in the ordinary useof the :machine;

it became desirable to turn the. cope over,

the cope will ,notbe reversed. However, if

suitableolampssimilarf .to .thoseshown at a 12 could be supplied forholding. theiflask It will be noted that equalprojection of f thepattern; elements.through their respec- 1 tive strippingplates. iseasilys'ecuredby adjustment of screws 22. Byineans of guides Q 25and;their adjusting screws. 26,:notonly can loose. play of patternbaseil in frame :3

be eliminated; but .the'llbase and patterns mounted thereonmay ibeshifted to align the pattern with 'itsstripping plate.

In our machine, it is unnecessary to re because, when the drag isreversed, the cope support plate is placed in molding position. l/Vhenone pattern is stripped from its mold, the other is automaticallyinserted in molding position. The cope and drag pattern are moldedalternately, hence there will always be equal numbers of copes and dragsand no delay will be occasioned because of the necessity of waiting forcope molds for a series of completed drag molds. Also, any wear on thepatterns will not result in offsets in the surface of the casting wherethe molds meet as might result if many molds were made consecutivelyfrom one pattern element and the molds from the corresponding patternelements made subsequently. A single machine of our type may be used toproduce both cope and drag molds without changing the pattern andstripping plates.

While these and other advantages resulting in the attainment ofpreviously mentioned objects are secured by the machine illustrated anddescribed, we are aware that changes in the form and construction ofparts and details of construction may be made without departing from theinvention or sacrificing the advantages thereof and We reserve the rightto make all such changes and modifications as are fairly possible withinthe scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a molding machine, a frame adapted to rotate in a vertical plane,stripping plates on said frame spaced transversely of their planes, apattern base mounted on said frame between said plates, adapted to shifttransversely thereof and to mount pattern elements on its faces adjacentsaid plates, means for shifting said base in said frame, and means forlocking said base against shifting.

2. In a molding machine, a frame adapted to rotate in a vertical plane,stripping plates on said frame spaced transversely of their planes, apattern base mounted on said frame between said plates, adapted to shifttransversely thereof and to mount pattern elements on its faces adjacentsaid plates, means for rotating said frame, means for shifting saidbase, means for locking said frame and base in predetermined angularpositions, and means for locking said base against shifting.

3. In a molding machine, a flask support ing frame including strippingplates positioned in parallel planes each having an opening throughwhich a pattern element may project, a pattern supporting base,mechanism for shifting said base to and from said plates, and adjustablemeans for limiting the shifting of said base by said mechanism.

4. In a molding machine, a flask supporting frame including strippingplates positioned in parallel planes each having an opening throughwhich a pattern element may project and which fits around such an tionedin parallel planes each having an opening through which a patternelement may project, a pattern supporting base, mechanism for shiftingsaidbase including spaced bell cranks pivoted on said frame.

links connecting one arm of each bell crank with said base, a connectionbetween the other arm of each bell crank with the corresponding arm ofanother of said bell cranks,

and means for rotating said bell cranks.

6. In a molding machine, a flask supporting frame including strippingplates posi I I tioned in parallel planes each having an opening throughwhich a pattern element may project a pattern supporting base, mechanismfor shifting said base includ-. ing spaced shafts journaled in saidframe, spaced levers mounted 011 each of said shafts, links between saidlevers and said base, and means for rotating said shaft.

7. In a molding machine, a flask supporting frame including strippingplates positioned in parallel planes each having an opening throughwhich a pattern element may project, apattern supporting base, mechanismfor shifting said base including spaced shafts journaled in said frame,spaced bell cranks mounted on each of said shafts, a connection betweenone arm of each of said bell cranks and said base, a connection betweenthe other arm of each of said bell cranks on one shaft and thecorresponding arm of one of said bell cranks on the other of saidshafts, and means for rotating one of said shafts.

8. In a molding machine, a box-like frame adapted to support flaskmembers on its top and bottom, a pattern base contained in and of lesserdepth than said frame, an opening in said base disposed transversely ofsaid frame, a shaft extending through said opening and journaled in saidframe, a lever mounted on said shaft and pivotally connected to saidbase, and means for operat ing said shaft to shift said base alternatelytoward the top and bottom of said frame.

9. In a molding machine, a flask supporting frame including strippingplates positioned in parallel planes each having an opening throughwhich a pattern element may project, a pattern supporting base,mechanism for shifting said base to and from said plates, including anoperating shaft journaled in said frame, a sectoral locking blockpivoted on said shaft adjacent the side of said frame and provided with

